Juggling vs Balancing ~ by @ShelleyHendrix

"Don’t ever worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ Everyone is concerned about these things, and your Heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them. But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.”   Matthew 6:32-33

I tend to be a bit of a workaholic. (But I’m working on it!) I have had this tendency for as long as I can remember. I have a hard time just being still without doing something. In fact, if the dishwasher and/or washing machine aren’t going while I’m writing, I feel like I’m wasting valuable time and energy. I can multi-task with the best of them. 

God showed me several years ago that I tend to be a juggler. I tend to have so many things going at one time that I spend a lot of energy just keeping things from falling to the ground and possibly falling apart. Most of the time, this is not a problem—I have a lot of energy and I like to stay busy, so I can usually do this without any problems. The problem, though, is that I cannot do this for very long. And there is a good reason for this. God did not create me—or you for that matter—to live our lives as jugglers! 

When I juggle life’s responsibilities, I can never really tell when something has been thrown my way that is not even my responsibility to keep in the air. In order to keep everything I already have in the air, I have to accept that new item or responsibility as well. Most of the time, because of the nature of juggling, I do not even get a good look at what the new thing is! Instead, God wants me to learn how to live a life of balance. 

Picture a legal scale where each tray is even with the other. Some folks will tell you that balance is not even possible so “why try?” I agree and I disagree. Since I am the one writing, I will tell you why. I agree that perfect balance is rarely, if ever, possible. Life tends to throw unexpected and seemingly random circumstances our way. Life is unpredictable. People do not always respect our desire—nay quest—for balance. So, for this reason, I agree that balance is not necessarily possible. At least not in perfect proportion. 

But I also disagree that we should not even set out to have a balanced life. Imagine how sloppy and hard to read this page would be if there were no margins on it. How wide are the margins in your life? 

When I try to handle life’s responsibilities as a juggler, I tend to make decisions in haste, rather than taking the time to really weigh out what choice to make. 

When I live life as a juggler, most of my closest relationships are with people who never get to see my eyes—meaning they do not get the benefit of my full, undivided attention. 

When I live my life as a juggler, I never know that what I am spending all of my attention and energy on is what my Heavenly Father has called and equipped me to do in the first place. 

Ah, but when I become intentional to cultivate and sustain a balanced life, I will know pretty quickly when something comes my way that I am not responsible to handle—at least on my own. When the scale tips too heavily in one direction, I am automatically alerted that something is not quite right. Choosing to seek God’s Kingdom and what pleases Him helps me to cultivate balance because it enables me to trust Him to take care of those things that are outside of my margins—my control, my responsibility. 

Do you tend to juggle life’s responsibilities or have you found the secret to cultivating a balanced life? 

What is your Heavenly Father saying to you today as you read and consider today’s Scripture and devotion? 

Feeling a Bit Overwhelmed with Bad News? ~ By @ShelleyHendrix

I was struggling a bit one morning recently as I read the headlines and even the posts running through my social media newsfeed. There are so many needs. 

There are so many things going wrong. There is so much injustice in the world. 

Stephen and I were the recipients of some of that "injustice" recently. It reminded me of a picture my mom gave me when I was in 9th grade. I searched the pic out so that I could put it here for you to see. 

(I don't have rights to this pic below, and found it here.) 

Do you ever feel this way?

So, I took a long walk. I listened to my playlist while I walked alongside the ocean in my new home town. As Seth Condrey sang "Here I stand, arms open wide. I am Yours, and You are mine;" and as I listened and prayed and walked and listened some more, I began to feel God's peace and presence. 

Yes, there is a lot going on. Any one of us would change it all if we could. But as His child, I'm choosing once again to trust my Heavenly Father's goodness, awareness, involvement, and plans for this world and for my own life.

"I am Yours and You are Mine."

A wise woman once told me that God put us in a body for a reason: He never intended us to be in more than one place at a time. This helps me remember to engage where I am and to be present with those around me as much as possible.

My friend, Steve Mason told me, "All any one of us deal with is what God sets before us at any given moment. It is so easy to be overwhelmed by this world. When we are overwhelmed we cannot be present for the next person who needs our attention and love."

Let's continue to pray, to give of our time and resources, and to go where He leads; but as we do, it's also helpful to keep in mind that God never expected us to save the world. He has already taken care of that. 

 Shelley Hendrix is the founder of Church 4 Chicks as well as Shelley Hendrix Ministries and the co-founder of a new ministry collaboration called Team Redeemed (a ministry to those whose lives have been impacted by infidelity). 

You can find Shelley's website, social media links and more at www.ShelleyHendrix.com but you'll typically find her sipping coffee, scrounging for chocolate, and petting her dog while hovered over her laptop.